Keith Tyson: Cloud Choreography and Other Emergent Systems

From: Press Release
Category: Art
Date: 10 September 2009
Time: 04:52 AM
Review:
Press release
Keith Tyson
Cloud Choreography and Other Emergent Systems
16 September–11 November 2009. Private view: 15 September, 6.30–8.30 p.m.
Cloud Choreography and Other Emergent Systems is a new exhibition by the winner of the 2002 Turner
Prize, Keith Tyson, which brings together several groups of his works. Set up as an exploration of
Tyson’s practice, rather than as a mid-career survey, the exhibition focuses on the systems and
processes that inform the creation of his work.
Tyson’s work can be seen as an ongoing investigation into the question of how and why things come
into being. Many of them investigate the physical forms and systems found within the natural world;
others examine the effects of mankind on the environment, and the ensuing man-made forms and
systems. In other works, Tyson questions the creation of the artwork itself, positing it as
something which can be randomly generated by systems, but simultaneously making us aware that these
systems are generated by the artist. Influenced as much by astrophysics and mathematics, as by
observation of and reflection on nature, Tyson’s work presents a unique combination of scientific
data with poetic artistry. This urges us to consider the roots of creativity alongside its aesthetic
beauty. The works operate on a number of levels: as examples of physical, mathematical or scientific
data, or of processes or systems. The breakdown of sophisticated and simple processes and
mathematical data into an artistic aesthetic is something which greatly interests Tyson, and in all
his works there is a consideration of ‘beauty’ (whether be it natural or artificial).
The structure of the exhibition at Parasol unit broadly splits into two parts. The first part, in
the lower gallery, features works that focus on natural processes and systems, such as the Nature
Sculptures, Nature Paintings, and a new series of works entitled Cloud Choreography paintings. In
these series of works, we see a transition from observing the natural world in sculptural form, to
attempts at recreating elements of it through chemical processes and rendered on large-scale
aluminium sheets. In the upper gallery, the second part of the exhibition focuses more on
mathematical, man-made and process-driven systems, and includes sculptures from the Fractal Dice
series alongside paintings from a new series of work entitled Operator Paintings, which is being
shown as a series for the first time.
This exhibition at Parasol unit is accompanied by a new publication on Keith Tyson’s work.
Keith Tyson (born 1969 in Ulverston, Cumbria, UK) held his first solo show From the Art Machine at
the Anthony Reynolds Gallery in 1996 and since then has exhibited extensively both in the UK and
internationally. Solo exhibitions include: David Zwirner Gallery, New York, USA (1996); Galerie
Vallois, Paris, France (1997); Anthony Reynolds Gallery, London (1997); Molecular Compound 4,
Kleines Helmhaus, Zurich, Switzerland (1999); Delfina, London (1999); One of Each, Galerie Ursula
Krinzinger, Vienna, Austria (2000); Studio Wall Drawings, Anthony Reynolds Gallery, London (2000);
Supercollider, South London Gallery, London (2002); Kunsthalle Zurich, Switzerland (2002); Works for
a Teleological Accelerator, Arndt and Partner, Berlin, Germany (2003); Collected Short Stories,
Galerie Vallois, Paris, France (2003); The Terrible Weight of History, Galerie Judin, Zurich,
Switzerland (2004); Geno Pheno I, Haunch of Venison, London (2004); Geno Pheno II, PaceWildenstein,
New York, USA (2005); The Bates College Museum of Art, Maine, USA (2005); The Sum of All Possible
Paths, Galerie Vallois, Paris, France (2006); Nature Paintings, Haunch of Venison, Zurich,
Switzerland (2006); Large Field Array, Louisiana Museum, Humlebaek, Denmark (2006); Studio Wall
Drawings 1997–2007, Haunch of Venison, London (2007); Nature Paintings, Tullie House Museum and Art
Gallery, Carlisle, Cumbria (2008); Random Nature, Project B, Milan, Italy (2008).
In 2002, Tyson was awarded the Turner Prize for his show Supercollider at the South London Gallery.
His work is held in numerous collections worldwide, including the Arts Council Collection, London;
Centre Pompidou, Paris, France; Fondation François Pinault, Paris, France; The Henry Moore
Institute, Leeds; The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco, USA; The South London
Gallery Collection, London; Tate Modern, London; The Museum of Modern Art, New York, USA.
Visitor information
Gallery opening hours: Tuesday–Saturday, 10 a.m.–6 p.m. and Sunday, 12–5 p.m.
Admission: Free
From Angel Tube station, turn left onto City Road and walk down City Road for ten minutes before
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From Old Street Tube station, leave via exit 1 and walk up City Road for five minutes. Turn right
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Buses 43, 205 and 214 all travel down City Road.
Note to editors
Parasol unit foundation for contemporary art is an independent educational charity devoted to
promoting contemporary art for the benefit of the public. The core activity of the foundation is to
showcase contemporary work of leading and young international artists in various media. In
conjunction with each exhibition Parasol unit organizes a series of talks and educational events.
Each year, Parasol unit mounts four exhibitions in a variety of media, each of which is usually
accompanied by a publication. In order to encourage the widest possible access to its exhibition
programme, Parasol unit does not charge admission fees for its exhibitions.
2009 / 2010 Programme
Parades and Processions: Here comes everybody
28 May–24 July 2009 (Preview 27 May)
Keith Tyson: Cloud Choreography and Other Emergent Systems
16 September–11 November 2009 (Preview 15 September)
Visible/Invisible: Against the Security of the Real
25 November 2009-7 February 2010 (Preview 24 November)
Cecily Brown
Shaun McDowell
Katy Moran
Maaike Schoorel
Hans Josephsohn